Magician and Chariot, growing together
by OverRide-doing-donuts
Summary: A Yosuke and Chie centric story, a year after P4. Yosuke missed his best friend sorely, but even without him he continues growing. There's even something growing between him and Chie, a bond that neither foresaw. For better or worse, the two most stubborn members of the investigation team are learning to grow, together.
1. April 2012

2/4/2012

Yosuke sighed, he took a long look at the building in front of him, a desire to run away settling into his gut. He smiled at the memories he held of the previous year and a bit, how Yu had basically changed his life - and now he was gone. He was broken out of his stupor by one fiery, punchy, meat-lover.

Chie.

She placed a hand on his back, smiling apologetically. They walked into class together.

"How are you and Kou, anyway Chie? I thought Yu convinced you to talk to him once or twice." Yosuke mused, setting himself down at the desk next to one of his closest friends.

"Ah, yeah. Well, we had a good talk over it in the past couple months, and decided it would be better if we were just friends, you know?" Chie shook her head. Yosuke nodded.

"Was it a 'if you never start it'll never end' kinda deal?" He leaned on his elbow.

"Something like that, yeah. And anyway, he wouldn't have time as it stands. How about you though? How are you holding up?" Yosuke smiled weakly, about to answer, before the screech of the bell broke up their conversation. Yukiko came in a little later, hugging and clapping hands with Chie, before sitting behind her. Yosuke decided it could wait till lunch.

"You asked how things were, Chie? Well, I've been thinking about getting another part-time job." He said, chowing down on his mother's home made omurice. Chie choked on her tea before setting it down. Yukiko also paused.

"A-another job?! Yosuke, you're barely pulling through classes-" She began, but his face was downcast.

"I __was__ barely pulling through classes, and then Yu reminded me that I need to step my game up if I want anything to go my way. So, I studied my ass off. B plus on my last card." He replied easily, sipping on his own soda. Chie looked back to her bento, then to Yukiko, who also sat stunned for a moment. She picked at her food with her chopsticks for a moment, then remembered something she'd always meant to ask Yosuke, just never found the time for.

"What do you wanna do after school? You know I wanna be an officer, but what about you, Yosuke?" Yosuke grimaced, putting his empty box away.

"I don't know. That's kinda why I want to try a new part-time job. I called Yu the other day, he told me how tutoring everyone changed his perspective on a few things. If I can get an A on my next card, there's a cram school the next town over looking for someone to help first years and middle schoolers." Yukiko sniggered. She covered her mouth as best she could, but it was too late. She was in another laughing fit.  
"W-What's so funny?!" Yosuke demanded at her. She slowed down her laughing just enough to respond to the shocked Chie and the angered Yosuke.

"Y-y-youuuu… You seemed so serious I-I…. What have you done with Yosuke?" She wheezed, regaining her composure, and saw Yosuke's cheeks flush brightly.

"I-uh, I just want to expand my horizons, beyond Junes." He defended weakly, toying with the end of his headphones. Chie reached out to him, placing a hand on his arm.

"Hey, you ever need someone to talk to, we're here." She smiled, as classes resumed.

__After school__

The trio was heading down the stairs, a whole three flights to descend, at the bottom of which they met with familiar faces. Kanji was growing his hair out slowly, the blond being brought back to its natural black, Naoto wearing the female uniform for once (despite looking like she'd been flustered all day) and Rise humming her newest track.

"Hey guys, how's second year?" Yosuke waved, Kanji offered a high-five, which was taken.

"Ah, you know. Same shit different stink. You guys don't have much longer, hey?" He said, as they all gathered their shoes from the lockers.

"Indeed. It does seem quite…odd I think." Yukiko sighed. Rise hugged her.

"There there, if anything it's for the best. You'll be able to get out of this town. Won't that be refreshing?" She smiled widely, a feeling reflected by Kanji and Naoto. Chie, Yosuke and Yukiko all looked at each other, then cracked grins of their own.

"Yeah, you guys are right. After this it'll be back to the city for me. I may as well enjoy the quietness of this town before it's too late." Yosuke pumped his fist. Chie punched her own fists together.

"Right, this is the last chance I'll get at being truly 'free' before I have to train like never before!" She said, mimicking a popular action star. Yukiko giggled, pressing her shoulder into Chie's.

"Yes, and I'm also going to have to make the most of knowing everyone in town, and everyone knowing me." The mood lightened within the group as they reached the main road, each one going their own way home.

Yosuke grabbed out his phone, and stared at his home screen for a while, a picture of him and Yu with the rest of the 'Investigation Team'. He thought for a good moment, before closing the device and placing it in his pocket. He reached into the drawers of his desk, finding the print club stickers he had of Saki Konishi.

"This is what you were facing, wasn't it Saki. The edge of freedom, and you never had a chance." He took another breath.

"Well, I'm gonna live it the best I can, for you. I'm sorry I never really understood you, but that's okay. I've let go of you, for good." He took the sticker, and slammed it into a new page of his diary. He scribbled a note on the space under the image.

'2/4/2012

__Never look back. You are you.'__

He put on his work clothes and biked it to the store.

__Night__

"You can come out now, you know." He said, looking at the screen they stored in the back. It was the same TV that they'd used for the whole of last year, because of some kind of fault with it, they couldn't sell it. However, it worked fine in the break room of Junes. Yosuke suspected that Teddie had something to do with that, but he didn't know what exactly. Teddie climbed out of the TV world, dusting his human form off, then dragging his costume behind him.

"Heya Yosuke. You're looking better today!" The blond cheered. Yosuke gave him an equally bright smile. They spoke for a while about what was happening at Junes.

"You know, it's weird sometimes, you going back and forth with here and the forest. I almost miss you staying in my closet." Yosuke ruffled the bear's hair. Teddie laughed.

"Oh Yosuke, say it isn't so!" He feigned embarrassment, which caused them both to smile wider.

"Oh right, Yosuke! I thought you'd be beary interested in what I found in the forest the other day!" Teddie exclaimed. Yosuke leaned closer on his stool.

"I found this tunnel! I went inside, and there are all these trains running around, and shadows. Some of them look beary scary." Yosuke frowned.

"Another TV world? But there's been nothing on the Midnight Channel for ages." He murmured, running a thumb over his lips. He bit his nail in thought.

"I thought that at first too, but then I realised. It's the connection between here and Tokyo." Teddie explained.

"I ran into that blue woman again, and I asked her about it. She told me this." Teddie closed his eyes to remember exactly what was said. Yosuke listening intently.

"__This forest is how the countryside perceives themselves. That gate is how __they__see __themselves. __Constantly on track, not much to do aside from get to work or go home. If humans thought themselves trapped, would they not perceive reality as some kind of maze?__" Teddie nodded in affirmation, recalling the encounter clearly.

"Ooooh I see. So the forest is different depending on the cognition - like we see it as a forest because we're always surrounded by nature, while they're always on the subway." Yosuke clicked his finger. He pulled out his phone, checking the time. It was getting late, almost 10PM. He gathered up what little homework he had left, packing it into his bag. Teddie opened his arms.

"Hey, I'd be beary disappointed in you if you didn't want my bear hug." His eyes gleamed. Yosuke shrugged, hugging him.

"Good luck out there Yosuke." He whispered into his ear. With one last squeeze from Yosuke, Teddie let go, setting himself up in the back room, like always. He climbed into his suit to sleep.

Yosuke turned off the light.

3/4

Yu Narukami headed up the halls of Shujin Academy, the top floor housing his own year level. He had, at first, dreaded coming back to Tokyo, however things seemed to be going better than he expected.

At least until he saw __it__. It was huge and expansive, and… dark. He couldn't help but feel trapped in the world around him when he laid eyes upon it.

Mementos, Margaret had called it. He had been walking home that night, and taken a slightly wrong turn. When he realised, the sky had turned an ominous grey with red lightning flashes, and there were tunnel entrances everywhere, leading to subway tracks. He had seen her there.

"Hello, Yu. How wonderful it is to see you again." She offered her hand. He had taken it, feeling the usual thrum of energy from contact with her.

"However, I cannot condone you stay here much longer. This is Mementos, the cognitive world created by the people here. You are only staying conscious here because you have stronger will than the rest of the population." From this, Yu knew she was talking about his persona.

"Well, uh, how do I leave then?" He'd asked her. She nodded and opened her book, the world around them returning to normal.

"This is the one and only time you will see Mementos. It's too dangerous, even for you." She warned. Yu gulped.

He had the feeling that taking another wrong turn ever again would lead to dire consequences.

The atmosphere of his class was dire. Being a third year at Shujin meant pressure like never before was upon every student. This school was renowned for its excelling graduates, and that history loomed over them all, like some cursed talisman. Yu pulled his phone out, flipping to Yosuke's conversation. He sent a quick message, before putting it away.

'__I need to talk with you at lunch__'

Yosuke yawned and scratched his head as he began another day. His phone chimed, which snapped him to attention, as he set about silencing the device. He read the message notification, it was from Yu. He wondered what it could be about.

Lunch had come all too slowly, Yu thought. He left the classroom's back door, heading for the stairwell towards the roof. He flicked open his phone and rang Yosuke.

"__Hey there, partner. What's up?__" was the response. Yu tapped his toes on the ground.

"Yosuke, there's another cognitive world over here." He said. He was expecting some kind of enthusiastic "let's go explore it then" from the brunette, but his answer stunned him.

"__Oh yeah, Teddie told me about that. He saw a new gate in the forest, and Margaret seems to have given us a warning not to enter it.__" Yu thought for a moment, remembering that Teddie had run into Margaret before, several times.

"Right. Well, I saw her too, I accidentally ended up in the place." Yosuke hummed.

"It's really dark, Yosuke. The sky is stormy, and there's this dark…feeling I get from the bottom of it. Like Izanami but worse." Yosuke huffed.

"__Well, it sounds like they're trying to protect us from something down there.__" Yu agreed.

"__If you get in trouble, I'm sure we'll find some way to save you.__" Yosuke affirmed. Yu sighed and smiled. He said goodbye to his friend, and returned to class.

He was sure he wasn't going to run into too much trouble.

…at least, he hoped not.

9/4

__After school__

Yosuke rubbed his calves down. Man basketball hurt sometimes. He'd come back to the team again to bolster their numbers for a while. The exercise was, however, doing him some good in lieu of fighting shadows in the TV world.

"I'll see you guys later." He waved to the team captain as he headed out towards Junes to do his nightly duties. As he rode his bike, the wind bit into his skin, the cold making his eyes water. Sometimes Inaba had the most fickle weather, one day sunny and the next it rained without warning. The season was still cold, as they headed back towards summer through the spring months.

"You know the drill, son." His dad said to him as he passed him at the door. Genji Hanamura was a stern taskmaster, his face was nearly always in a frown, age was turning the ends of his hair white, and his stoutness added to his overall 'grumpy old man' aesthetic. Yosuke grabbed his apron and set about refilling the shelves in the grocery department, and once he was finished there, he would head up towards the men's sections and tidy them up for the next day. He put his headphones on, and forgot about the outside world.

Yu Narukami had faced off with a god. He was not one to be intimidated.

Until he had met one Wakaba Ishiki. She was a scientist, with an unrelenting spirit. It had been this quality that almost scared Yu, as she barraged him with questions.

"Look, I don't even know how you found me, ma'am." He replied, trying to walk away from the woman. She slapped herself on the forehead before offering her hand.

"I found out about you through the Inaba case file. I reviewed the forensics on the case." Yu eyed her warily before shaking her hand.

"Naoto Shirogane also mentioned to me, that there were things no ordinary science could explain. I found you through her." She explained. Wakaba had called him to Tokyo University specifically to talk about what happened in Inaba.

"I have been theorising about this for a while, but now I'm certain. I'm studying cognitive psience, and everything about the case screams to me of evidence for my research." Yu nodded, taking his seat again, Wakaba pulling out a notepad.

"So you want me," Yu began, "to come in every week or so and tell you about what we saw in the TV world." He surmised. She gave him a toothy smile.

"If you'd be so kind. I'm even happy to compensate you for your kindness." A young girl walked into the room, dressed in a middle school uniform. She looked at Yu with surprise, before walking over to Wakaba.

"Mama, who is this?"

"This is Yu Narukami. He'll be helping me with my research for a while, ok?" The young girl nodded solemnly. She pulled on some headphones and sat in a beanbag in the corner of the room.

"If you can start by writing down a rough outline of your adventure, that would be useful. I'll see you same time, next week." Wakaba smiled again, turning to her daughter. Yu bowed and made his exit.

__Night__

YOSUKE: __she wants to know about the TV world? Weird__

YU: __well if there's anything you don't want me to include, just tell me. Already talked to the others, they seem fine with it__

YOSUKE: __OK, whatever….You gonna talk about Teddie?__

YU:__I think Naoto still has his reports from the hospital so__

YOSUKE: __well then. Night partner__

Yosuke put his phone down for the night, plugging it in to charge. He rolled over onto his side, looking out the window in the opposite wall. He doubted many would take their story seriously. Even so, he figured there'd be no harm in studying cognitive…psience? He felt his eyes close, weighed down by the exhaustion of the day.

This wasn't a dream. He frantically searched the walls for an escape, but it was hard to see with the smoke in the room, and the lights were too dim. He reached for his glasses, but couldn't find them. He panicked, patting himself down for his weapons. Also nadda. He felt his heart race as he heard the laughter coming from behind him. He turned slowly, his eyes barely registering what he was seeing.

It was himself.

"Yosuke, Yosuke, Yosukeee…." The shadow drawled, it handed him a glass, his eyes glowing even through the smoky room.

"You didn't really think you could be a hero, did you? How laughable. You just don't want to be bored and alone. That's why you clung to Saki." The shadow was slurring. Was it…drunk? He sniffed the liquid in his glass, recoiling at the smell.

Definitely drunk.

"Why don't you just let me take over for you…You'll never be bored again!" The shadow barked laughter, looming ever closer over his head. He felt something sharp pierce his abdomen, and paled at the sight of blood. He screamed, but no sound came out, as the shadow kept laughing.

He woke up in a cold sweat, his heart still pounding and breath shaky. He felt his stomach and was relieved to find no stab wounds. He looked under his bed, finding both his weapon stash and his glasses. He sighed in relief, then checked his phone.

3:49AM it read. He put his headphones on again, and tried to sleep.

10/4

Yosuke shot another ball towards the hoop, finally sinking it. After two hours of practice before school, he had finally improved. The team held a small meeting, explaining that seniors would practice before school from now on, and everyone else was going to work after school. He rinsed himself off in the showers and headed to class. On the way up the stairs, he met with Chie.

"Yosuke, still playing basketball?" She asked, sounding concerned.

"Uh, yeah. I figured it'd do me good to keep exercising y'know?" He laughed nervously. Chie narrowed her eyes, then poked him in the chest.

"You look like crap. Roof, lunchtime." She demanded, sitting down just as the bell rang. Yosuke resigned himself to his fate.

__Lunch__

Chie and Yukiko had brought up the remainder of the squad, even Teddie, somehow. They all cornered him on the roof, everyone eyeing him warily. He found himself sweating, his hands shaky.

"Yosuke, something's up." Chie's voice sounded angry. He flinched. Kanji nodded, Rise and Naoto humming in agreement. Teddie reached out for his shoulder, Yukiko kept her eyes on the ground.

"...So what if there is?" He asked, putting his food down in front of him. His eyes glazed over, remembering the nightmare - it wasn't the first time it had plagued his sleep, but it was worse than before.

"You need to tell us, senpai. It's no good to sit on crap like that." Kanji leaned back on his arms. Naoto turned to face him straight on.

"You've been like this before. Sullen and tired, it happens to you periodically. I'm going to take a guess...Trauma." She spoke softly. Yosuke grimaced, he really didn't want to do this, but he knew that there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"...None of you saw my shadow. None of you were there while we were in that other shopping district, looking for Saki." He sighed, scratching his head. Teddie wrapped an arm around his shoulders, his face grave.

"...He said that I was alone, isolated, and that I hated this town. Maybe I did once." He chuckled lowly.

"But sometimes, I still have nightmares over him. I imagine my own dungeon, he's usually drunk, and the fog is always thick. He taunts me, saying how he'll take over for me, and then he kills me. Nobody comes to save me." His eyes water, and he covers his ears, trying to block out the nightmares. Chie suddenly looks like she's been shot, most of them do. Rise's own eyes water, and a sniffle escapes her nose.

"Y-yosuke senpai…" She whispers. Yukiko offers her a hug, rubbing her back as Rise calms down. Kanji looks stunned, and he can't seem to find the right words. Naoto even looks away, messing with her tie instead. Chie finally breaks out of her stupor, and falls on her knees, holding the boy tightly.

"I-I didn't mean to…" She murmurs, but Yosuke instead holds her tightly, squeezing the breath out of her lungs. Teddie hugs them from the side. The solemn moment is broken by the bell. With drying eyes, the group splits apart, faint smiles pointed towards their leader's right hand man.

__Night__

The phone chimes with the unmistakable theme song of some lame kung fu series. He picks it up, pressing it to his ear with his shoulder, as he completes his homework assignment.

"Yeah, I'm here." He breathes. Chie stutters something, before she sighs and begins again.

"__M-my parents are going away this weekend Yosuke. Would you like to come over? Just you.__" He could almost imagine the blush creeping up her face.

"Uh, alright? You okay Chie?" He asks, cocking his eyebrow. He hears her hum before she can answer.

"__I just thought that, y'know, since I kinda made you upset today that you'd like to do something this weekend. Also I may need some help…studying.__" She mutters. He chuckles.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you Saturday? Around five?" He hears her hum, she probably nodded. There's a moment of silence. Yosuke decides now is better than never.

"...You know Chie, I remembered something the other day. Before I became fixated on Saki, you used to be…nice. I mean, you're nice now too, but y'know…" He felt himself beginning to regret what he was saying, until he heard a gasp on the other side.

"__...Y-yeah. You didn't deserve any of that. I'm sorry.__" There's another moment of silence. Yosuke twirls his pencil in his fingers.

"__...Do you still think about her?__" She whispers. He feels the air catch in his throat, but he takes a steady breath.

"I let her go. She's gone now, nothing will change that, and I know it. She was being polite to me, because she wanted the job, so she could leave Inaba. I see that now, and I'm okay with everything." Yosuke felt a warmth grow in his chest. He said goodnight to Chie, and decided that was enough homework for now.

He had all Saturday to get it done.

14/4

Yosuke picked up eight bottles by their tops, placing them back into the bottom level of the fridge. He hated early Saturday work, but he just had to stick with it. He'd finish up here, then head over to practice, and then to Chie's. He thought about why she had invited him alone, and he figured he'd have to ask the brunette herself. He ran a hand through his hair, and tutted when he remembered.

He'd have to dye it again soon.

Teddie came over to him, noticing the regrowth.

"I'm paws-ative that all the girls wouldn't mind your real colour." The bear teased. Yosuke glared at him.

"Oh yeah? Well then, how about I dye your hair pink?" He smirked. Teddie recoiled, spouting apologies as he returned to his section on the upper floors. Yosuke huffed happily.

__We'll go somewhere together soon__ the note read. Yu made a tally of more broken dreams caused by his parents. He knew they were usually busy, but this was ridiculous. He checked the fridge, and finding it almost empty, decided to do the grocery shopping. He picked up a small stack of yen left by his father, and headed towards the nearest Junes. Yu loved his mother and father dearly, but ever since middle school they'd been putting off time with him, and he had only felt more and more alone. It had only been when he'd lived with his mother's brother, Dojima, that he'd had any kind of real human connection. He thought of Nanako, who would usually be left on her own, and he said a small prayer for her, that she'd no longer spend every night on her lonesome.

He decided to pick her up a present. He'd mail it to her later.

"YOSUKE!" Yosuke threw the ball towards the left side of the field, where his team mate plucked it clean out of the air, sinking it into the hoop, hanging off the edge for a moment. There was a loud whistle.

"That's time!" The team held another meeting, then split up to go home. Yosuke sped along the streets towards his house, almost colliding with another pole.

"NOT TODAY!" He cheered as he smoothly turned into his driveway, locking his bike to the side of the house. He removed his shoes as he entered, announcing his presence to an…empty house. He sighed and grabbed a change of clothes, heading into the shower. He had about an hour before he needed to leave, so he rinsed out and dried his hair, so he could dye the roots. He took the gloves he had in the drawer and carefully applied the peroxide to his scalp. It stank, but such was the price of beauty. He covered his hair in a shower cap and finished cleaning himself off, dressed, and then washed out the dye, the colour matching almost perfectly with the rest. He checked his bag one more time, before grabbing his scooter to head to Chie's place.

When he got there, she was already knee-deep in text books. A plate of fruit to her side and a martial arts flick was playing on mute. She had let him in, her face flushed and hair fluffed.

"Sorry, I've been a bit stressed by all the assignments just lately…" She murmured, smoothing down her hair. He nodded, setting himself up at the other side of the table, grabbing a few cushions to seat himself on.

"So what can I help you with first?" He asked. Chie flicked back and forth through a few piles of notes, before finding one in particular.

"Uh, English I think. After that maths." She said, reading over her notes again. Yosuke grabbed out his own English assignment, a report on __Titanic__. They'd been assigned a film to watch and examine the story elements, as well as any symbols they could pick out. As it turns out, Chie had mostly ignored the film that day they watched it in class.

"I hate romance movies. They're always so UGH! The girl can never save herself and be happy." Chie grumbled, scribbling notes furiously as she listened to Yosuke explain the plot again, reading the handout they had to complete. She hated to admit it, but he really did seem to be picking up the slack from last year's grades.

"...and now multiply those two together." He said, pointing at the figures with his pencil end. The time had gone quickly, it was almost 8PM, and Chie felt her stomach rumble. The fruit had helped her while they'd had it, but now it was all gone.

"Do you have to go home?" She asked, leaning back against her palms, sighing in relief. Yosuke shrugged.

"They're still at the store, probably. You hungry?" He responded, packing his homework back up. Chie's face flushed again, which got a smile out of Yosuke.

"Oh, that's the real reason you wanted me around. Free food." He joked, Chie's face developing a frown.

"Relax," he yawned, "Do you trust me?" He asked. Chie sighed and laid down on the floor, flicking the TV off, which Yosuke took as a sign that she did, indeed, trust him. He picked up a few ingredients from the fridge, and set about making something for dinner. He settled on meatballs with homemade sauce and pasta. He sliced the onions, cracked an egg and poured some bread crumbs into the beef mince, mixing it with damp hands. He started frying them in the pan, while he started making sauce in another pot, combining beef stock with tomato puree and some other small vegetables. He set the pasta to boil once the sauce was half-finished and the meatballs had been thoroughly browned. He turned around to see Chie behind him, eyes wide.

"Y-you.." She scowled. He flinched.

"YOU CAN COOK?" She yelled. He covered his ears, then nodded.

"Uh, yeah. Usually it's just me at home so…" he mumbled as he turned off all the plates on the stove, preparing a pile of pasta with the sauce covered meatballs. He handed Chie a plate and a fork, and the two sat at the dining table to eat. Chie, after taking a small bite, almost wanted to faint. She never knew that Yosuke could cook __well__. Not __this__ well, surely. The meat was just juicy and fluffy somehow, and the sauce was just thick enough to satisfy, while the pasta was just undercooked perfectly. She gulped, her face and neck tinged pink. Yosuke was enthusiastically eating his own plate, flicking through the TV channels. Chie felt her pulse in her ears, there was so much Yosuke had hidden from her, his abilities, his nightmares, and now this, his cooking. She felt like a stone was settling into her stomach, as she looked at the half-asleep teenager beside her. She hadn't even considered anything of what happened in the past year and a half to be remotely reflective of his true self, because he was always acting like a goof, trying to woo women he had no chance with. His eyes met hers, and there came that smirk.

"Hey Chie, see something you like?" He ruffled her hair, and in that instant, she reached up to punch him, but couldn't put enough force through her fist to hurt him.

"N-no! Don't be silly. We're not like that…" she stammered, pressing her fingers together.

"Yeah, I know. Hey Chie?" She looked up to him, somehow his eyes, while half-lidded in sleepiness, were making her feel weird.

"Thanks for being here for me." He yawned, flipping open his phone, sending a few messages while they sat in silence.

It had grown dark outside, and Yosuke was in no mood to drive back just now, he was still too tired from his nightmare the other day. The exhaustion just piled up on him. Chie had allowed him to stay on a futon in her room, as long as nothing untoward happened. Of course, she had ended up being awake later than him, seeing his face relax in sleep, his breathing slightly heavy and his hair spreading over the pillow. She almost went to touch it, but she rolled over and pretended she wasn't feeling these things.

He was her friend, and that was it.

She needed to talk to Yukiko.

15/4

Yosuke took a moment to recall where exactly he was this Sunday morning. Seeing Chie turned away from him, it all came back. He remembered her blush while they were eating. It was almost adorable, seeing her get so worked up over him. What if she was beginning to like him? He doubted it, she always saw him as a friend, or free food. She had even been close to Yu before he left, and she always hit him when he said something perverted towards her. Why did he chase all those other girls before? He couldn't exactly tell, there was a lot of just wanting something, someone, to call his own. There was a small part inside him that said he wanted to make Chie jealous, but he rarely listened to that part of himself. He knew it existed, a shadow within himself, his selfishness. He knew well where it was, and he did his best to tread around it carefully.

When Chie had said that Kou and her were just friends, he couldn't exactly lie, and not feel relieved. The more he thought about it, the happier he was that she set aside time for him, all the time. He quietly got up and looked at her sleeping form, her pyjamas, an oversize green shirt really, exposing her shoulder. Inside he wanted to touch that bare skin with his lips, but he fought the urge. Instead he ruffled her hair until she woke up. He said morning, and left the house, his friend still in a waking daze.

"Yukiko!" Chie called out to the girl, embracing her as she came into the foyer.

"Chie! You sounded so panicked on the phone before, you okay?" The quiet girl asked. Chie hummed and shook her head.

"I don't know. I need to talk it out I think…" as if on cue, Rise and Naoto entered the inn. The girls greeted each other and headed up to Yukiko's room on the top floor.

"...So do you see what I mean?" Chie finished regaling her previous night to the group. They all seemed deep in thought, Rise had an evil smirk growing on her features, while Yukiko was trying hard not to laugh again.

"Have you thought," Rise's voice was dark, "That maybe you need to start believing in the impossible?" Chie's face darkened instantly, her cheeks a deep red that crept down her neck. Naoto crossed her arms, closing her eyes.

"Reviewing all the evidence…It's clear something is there. What you do with that is up to you." She noted. Yukiko couldn't hold it back anymore, she double over in laughter, which Rise joined in on, even Naoto chuckled. Chie stuttered, trying to quell their amusement. Once Yukiko had caught her breath, she hugged the brunette.

"Chie, I think you need to rethink your relationship with Yosuke." She watched as Chie tried to avoid all eye contact. The other girls gave some closing words to their meeting and decided to retreat, leaving Chie to walk home in hot shame. Her feet had taken her to the flood plains, where she sat by the riverbank. She looked into the water, seeing her reflection. She thought back on what Naoto had said, something about association causing attraction. So apparently just because she hung out with Yosuke the most, she was slightly attracted to him. She wondered idly if it was the same for him. She huffed, pulling out her phone, flicking over to message Yu.

CHIE: __I need help__

YU: __?__

CHIE: _…___I…like Yosuke__

CHIE: __I THINK. Not sure__

YU: _…___it took you this long to see it?__

She felt Yu's laughter in the back of her mind. Damn him, making light of this situation. She heard someone crunching on the gravel behind her. It was Nanako and Teddie.

"Hey Chie-nee." Nanako beamed. Chie stood up and ran a hand over the girl's head.

"Hey Nanako, whatcha doin with Teddie?" She asked. Nanako hummed, Teddie took Chie's hand.

"We have a message from Yosuke! Apparently there's supposed to be a really bad lightning storm tonight, and he wanted to know if you would like him to come over." Chie cocked her head to the side, eyeing Teddie warily.

"Oh yeah? Why not just text me?" She puffed her cheeks. Nanako giggled, pulling a box from her Junes bag.

"Because he sent you this too!" She smiled warmly. Smelling the box, Chie immediately knew that the box contained a steak. She licked her lips unconsciously, then smacked herself back into reality.

"You can tell him I said okay. I'll see him as soon as he can come over." She said, taking the box. She opened the lid, to find inside a steak neatly cut up and skewered for her to eat. She snacked on it while she returned home.

Yu was becoming as bad as Yukiko with his laughter. He couldn't believe it was taking Chie this long to recognise her feelings. He almost wanted to alert Yosuke, but figured it would be best to let him work it out. He instead messaged Yukiko and Rise about the recent development. Not one of them was surprised either. He picked his pen back up and kept writing out his essay.

Yosuke had come prepared this time. He was carrying a bag with his stuff all ready for Monday morning. He also picked up a tupperware container from his fridge that held something else he'd been working on. A small strawberry shortcake sat inside, covered in whipped cream and fresh berries. He smiled to himself, locking the door behind him. He took his scooter to Chie's again, parking it next to hers. Maybe he felt something for her, he just didn't want to jump too soon and ruin everything. He didn't want to break the friendship they were both honestly enjoying. The door opened for him, Chie welcoming him.

"You're awfully eager to see me." He ruffled her hair again. She pouted, then flicked his forehead lightly.

"You did get me steak soooo…" She shifted her weight. Yosuke shrugged, pulling out the cake container. He set it down carefully, opening it up. He watched as Chie's eyes widened, her face showing excitement. He reached in the kitchen for a knife, cutting them both a slice.

"You….you really __can__ cook huh?" Chie whispered as she bit into the impossibly fluffy cake, cream coating her lips. She licked it off her fingers, oblivious to the thoughts that gave the boy in front of her. He was trying hard to hide his embarrassment, which he felt for thinking of his friend that way. He stuffed his own piece into his mouth, happy to devour the morsel.

"Well hey," he cracked a grin, "If I was ever stuck with you, we wouldn't be poisoning ourselves with __your__ cooking." He laughed as she lightly punched and pinched his arm. She too, found herself laughing, until the first rumble of thunder came through the clouds. She yelped, suddenly clinging to his arm.

"Relax, okay?" He soothed, patting her head.

"We'll pull out the rest of our homework for a while, alright?" He suggested. She slowly let go of his arm, yelping again when she saw the strike of lightning outside, followed by another low rumble.

By the time they were in bed, the rain had settled in, pattering away at the windows and roof. The strikes were less frequent, but the thunder persisted. Chie laid awake again, watching Yosuke's face. He seemed all to peaceful, when suddenly his expression darkened.

__Nobody comes to save me__

The words rung through her head, and she felt panicked. She tried running a hand through his hair to try and calm her own heartbeat, and his dreams.

Why was she so bad at comfort? When her friend needed her the most?

"Yosuke…I'll save you." She whispered, planting a kiss on his forehead.

The nightmare had been the same, he had been bracing for the impact of the knife, only to feel it replaced with something warm on his forehead. He felt pressure on his head, and heard something muffled through the thick fog. He couldn't make out the words, his ears felt like they were full of water. His head was spinning and he couldn't stand up straight, almost tumbling to the floor again. He gripped his ears, yelling to his shadow, who stood stunned.

"YOU ARE ME!" He screamed, hoping it would do something. The shadow recoiled, a figure was emerging from the fog, but it was too thick to see still. Just as the figure would become clear, a swarm of butterflies surrounded him, their beating wings drowning everything out, and the flow of air causing him to close his eyes. When he opened them, he was face to face with Chie, who was looming over him upside down.

"Yosuke, you okay?" She whispered. He blinked a few times, he was still waking.

"Uh…yeah, fine. You?" She smiled softly, flicking his forehead again.

"Couldn't sleep just yet. Then I saw you bugging out." She tugged on his arm, pulling it out from the warm covers.

"Come up here." She pulled her own covers back, then threw the pillow from the futon up onto her bed. Yosuke watched her prepare her own bed for two people.

"You sure you're okay with this? I mean, aren't I always a pervert? Won't I try to…y'know." He mumbled. Chie took his hands, guiding him to her.

"It's fine. I think we could both use some closer comfort." Yosuke swallowed his nerves, letting himself fall onto the soft mattress next to her. He laid flat on his back, which allowed her to tuck herself between his arm and his chest, her head just under his chin. She reached an arm around his shoulders, the other across his chest. She heard his heart beat faster, her own doing the same, but she sighed contentedly. Just as she was drifting off, she felt the solid weight of his arms resting over her waist.

Maybe he wasn't so bad, after all.

16/4

The alarm went off at 5:30AM. She felt something under her move, suddenly realising it was Yosuke. She felt her heart jump, her nose filled with something resembling vanilla. She also blushed, when her thigh came into contact with something __hard__. She gulped, sitting up as Yosuke reached down for his phone.

"Morning Chie. Sorry it's so early." His voice rumbled, and Chie would be lying if she said she didn't like the way it sounded.

"It's fine." She whispered, rubbing his shoulders.

"Wanna come to practice today?" He yawned, standing up and stretching. She too, yawned her reply. They both got dressed and picked up the bentos he'd prepared last night. With barely a minute to spare, Yosuke headed to the school gym, Chie behind him.

She had to admit, he wasn't bad at it anymore. Probably all the practice from last year, and his experience fighting shadows starting to add up. He made solid passes, and missed only three shots for every ten he made. Ai came up to her as they were finishing up practice.

"So, you're Yosuke's friend, right?" She asked. Since last year, Ai had gained a new kind of beauty. She had traded in the long, curled hair for more practical braids, and she had done a complete 180 in attitude.

"Yeah. Chie Satonaka." She introduced herself. Ai nodded.

"I remember you, you hung around Yu." Ai looked over to the players, smiling gently, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"I'm glad this team is picking up again." She waved to Chie, before leaving with a first year, talking about the things the team had to organise for later.

"Hey Chie!" Yosuke came up to her, covered in sweat, grinning all too widely.

"Wanna gimme a huuuuug?" He smirked, watching her ball up her fist, punching his shoulder a few times. He laughed, swatting her hand away.

"Okay, geez, calm down. I'm gonna clean up. See you in class."

__Lunch__

Chie had agreed to spend this lunch with the girls in their second year classroom. She was regretting it immediately.

"Sooo Chie, how was last night?" Rise took a long sip of her tea, grinning like a fool watching her friend's face turn pink.

"W-what?" She stuttered. Yukiko too, had an evil smirk on. She __really __wished she hadn't come to this gathering.

"You know…" Yukiko spoke lowly, "…spending the night with Yosuke, all alooone…" She barked with laughter as Chie's face darkened further, her eyes almost bulging out from her skull. Naoto took a look at the lunch she had brought with her.

"Chie, your mother didn't make this, and I know you can't cook. Wait, did Yosuke make this for you?" She concluded. Chie almost choked, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Y-YOU'RE GETTING THE WRONG IDEA!" She yelled at her friends. They all giggled.

"Who's getting the wrong idea about what now?" Chie hadn't seen Kanji walk over to them, much less with Yosuke with him. Rise gave her one last, truly evil expression, and Chie shook her head vigorously, pleading with her to not say anything.

"Oh, you know, girl stuff. Say, midterms are next month. Who wants to study together?" Rise cheered. With that small crisis averted, Chie let herself fall down in her seat.

24/4

"...Hey guys, you remember Naoto's birthday is in three days, right?" Kanji whispered to the group, minus Naoto, seated at the tables of Junes.

"Oh right, I totally forgot." Rise sighed, toying with the ends of her hair.

"Well, actually, I'd hoped you guys would help me out." Kanji pulled out a notebook, filled with sketches of clothing and stuffed animals.

"I've been working on making Naoto a dress, but I haven't had time to organise much else." His cheeks were slightly coloured. Yukiko nodded.

"Of course, leave the rest to us. We'll get her a cake and something small each, right?" Rise smiled widely, Teddie nodding vigorously.

"Well, if it's only small. Teddie, let's meet up later and find her something." The idol suggested. Chie tapped Yosuke on the shoulder.

"Uh, hey….can you teach me how to make a cake?" She felt her frustration over her cooking failures start to ignite her stomach.

"Sure. We can even do that with Nanako, I'm sure she'd love it." He beamed. Yukiko then turned to Chie.

"We should find her something too, Chie. Let's go to the bookshop later."

25/4

"Okay, so Teddie and I got her a new bag to match that dress!" Rise said, showing the group a soft pink handbag, a bear covering the bottom corner. Kanji inspected it, approving of the design.

"It's perfect and practical. Thanks Rise, Teddie." He nodded.

"Well, I thought it was __beary __appropriate!" He chuckled, ignoring the groan of the others.

"Chie and I ended up getting her a new English book. Agatha Christie, murder mysteries." Yukiko placed the book, which was quite thick, on the table. It gave a satisfactory thud.

"What about you, Yosuke?" Kanji cocked his head to the side.

"Well duh, I'm taking care of the cake." He gave a toothy grin.

27/4

__Night__

It was quiet at the Dojima residence, Ryotaro had gone out for work, leaving Nanako alone with her current visitors, Chie and Yosuke, who had just finished decorating the cake.

"It was fun learning how to make this, Yosuke-nii, Chie-nee." Yosuke gave her a high five.

"Well, without you two, it wouldn't look so pretty." He said, ruffling Chie's hair. She huffed, but gave him a smile.

"Next time big bro comes back, let's make him a cake together!" Her face was cheery, lit up with the thought of her 'big brother' having home made cake.

"You got it, kiddo." Yosuke brought the cake over to the main room, putting it on the centre of the table. They heard the doorbell chime.

"I'll get it!" Nanako headed towards the door.

Once Kanji, Rise, Teddie and Yukiko had arrived, it only took another 10 minutes for Naoto to show up.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAOTO!" They all cheered together, upon her entrance. She blushed profusely.

"Y-you didn't have to…" She muttered, hiding into her hat.

"We wanted to, Naoto." Kanji said, hands on her shoulders.

"We even got you presents!" Teddie jumped in delight.

"It's normal that friends celebrate friend's birthdays, right?" Rise said, pulling the girl over to the small group of presents and cake.

"Well then, I guess it would be rude to refuse, when you went through all this." Naoto coughed, trying to hide her flustered face.

She had to be honest. She wasn't expecting a dress, least of all from Kanji. But the fabric was light and soft, and the cut was modest, a square edge exposing barely any of her chest, the bodice tucked into an empire waistline, from which a skirt flowed, reaching her knees. The baby blue was accented by Rise and Teddie's pale pink bag, which easily carried her new book, much to her surprise. Most surprising of all had been Yosuke's cake. Who knew he could cook like that? This morning too, she had been delivered a DVD of Sherlock Holmes from Yu.

She felt their bond grow a little deeper.


	2. May 2012

7/5

Yu suddenly understood the severity of his situation. Midterms had just begun, and already the tests looked like final exam papers. He really hoped his friends were having an easier time, as he frantically circled and calculated and recalled his answers.

Chie finally felt like she was actually passing. She was confident in most of her answers, which was a first since middle school. Yosuke's style of tutoring, using little jingles and games to remember information, had done wonders for her at least. More than Yukiko's own dull style of cards, much to her surprise. With one day down, she was sure the rest would be okay.

8/5

Naoto was flicking her eyes to Kanji's back every once in a while. She hoped he was getting enough answers right to pass. Her own tutoring had been harsh on him, but it wasn't without reason. She idly wondered about the last month, the developments in Chie and Yosuke's friendship dynamics, and pondered over the eventual outcome. She then mentally berated herself.

She was becoming no better than Rise, damn her.

9/5

"You reckon they're doing okay?" Yukiko asked Chie. They had a day off between their tests, at last, and had decided to join Yosuke at Junes to finish up some revision.

"I'm beary sure they're fine." Teddie cheered, as he delivered some drinks to the group.

10/5

It was over, Yu sighed in relief. He had finished his test on the exact mark of time. He hoped his efforts had been enough. He checked the time and ran to his nearby part time job at the ramen shop downtown. Maybe during the summer, everyone could come up here for a few days.

It wasn't a bad idea.

Yosuke had brought along another cake, this time chocolate, to the group gathering at Dojima's house. Nanako had invited them over to celebrate the end of the tests. While she herself had no tests yet, she had spoken with Teddie, who insisted that everyone was stressed from the examinations.

It had turned out to be a wonderful idea, since Ryotaro Dojima's birthday was tomorrow. They wished him a happy birthday, and Nanako couldn't be happier, Yu had sent a package to them, containing the one photo of himself, Nanako and Ryotaro.

Their bond became stronger.

17/5

Yu braced himself for the worst. He climbed the last fateful stairs to his classroom, walking past the posted results. He paused to look.

His name was in the top 5. He looked around, eyes suddenly upon him.

"Narukami! Can you help me study later?"

"Please help me study, Tsuchi is too hard on us…"

"Can we make a study group?" He felt a little overwhelmed, but deciding this was just one more trial, agreed to make a dedicated study group every Sunday evening. The students clapped and cheered, organising where it was to be held.

Suddenly, he didn't feel so alone at Shujin.

Maybe things were looking up for him again.

Chie was elated. __Beyond__ elated. She felt the blood sing through her, as she saw her name on the result board.

Right there, right next to number 31. What an improvement! She hurried to check the rest of the list, Yukiko was on top, like usual, and not far between the two was….Yosuke Hanamura. She took a step back, realising that he had scored 15.

He had gotten an A.

When she saw him coming around the corner with Yukiko, laughing about something, she looked back to the list, then back to her friends. She pointed at him, then to the list.

"Y-you…YOU GOT AN A?" She exclaimed. He smiled.

"Oh, is there something wrong with that Satonaka?" He mocked, their faces dangerously close, causing them both to blush. They then laughed it off, high fiving with each other.

"I can apply for that tutoring gig now, so I won't be around too much between Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons." He scratched the back of his head nervously. Chie looked downwards, was she upset? He didn't know. Internally she was staving off the feeling of loneliness.

But she remembered her plan.

"So if you're working elsewhere, is there maybe a position at Junes available?" Chie asked him, as they entered the class.

"Maybe. I'll talk to my dad about that." He replied.

__After school__

"Hanamura, I got your email this morning. Congratulations, you're our newest tutor. Hope you're ready!" The voice on the other end was cheery, Yosuke could barely contain his own excitement.

"Of course, ma'am. Won't let you down!" He responded, pumping his fist. There was a laugh again on he other side, followed by some instructions for his first class, and a goodbye. With that taken care of, he went to see his dad at Junes. Like normal, he had cooped himself up in the back room, working on the books.

"Hey dad, I got accepted for that tutoring job." He said, his father turning to face him.

"Wonderful, such responsibility from you, son. I guess this means your mother and I will have to fill in for you, huh?" He smiled briefly, catching Yosuke off guard. He quickly recovered.

"Actually, you remember Chie Satonaka, right? She asked if you had any positions available. If it's alright, I'd like to focus on my studies for now." He suggested. He really wanted to get into a good university next year, and that was going to take a lot of effort, and time, which he didn't usually have enough of.

"Hmm. I'll speak with her next time I see her, and I'll gauge it from there." The conversation was over, the sternness of Genji Hanamura taking its place once more. Yosuke bowed, putting his apron on as he left the room.

__Night__

Her phone rang with a tune she'd heard him singing once. She stopped assaulting her punching bag and picked up the call.

"Yep?" She answered.

"__I spoke with my dad, he said he'll talk to you to figure out if he'll take you on.__" He yawned, causing her to yawn with him. She recalled Naoto mentioning that too, that yawning was a good indication of closeness in a relationship. She wiped her eyes from the sleepy tears.

"Right, okay. Thanks for the heads up. Anything else?" She looked over to her clock. It was already 9PM.

"__Oh yeah, hey Chie… So a blond and a brunette were talking about their boyfriends, and the brunette said, 'Whenever he gets me flowers, I have to have my legs up in the air for a week', and the blond replied with 'Don't you have a vase'__?" She felt her eyebrow twitch, a smile creeping up on her lips.

"Damn you Yosuke." She breathed. She heard a low chuckle, which sounded __dangerously__ attractive.

"__It wouldn't be me if I didn't__." She could hear him wink. She hung up.

"This bear has seen enough romances to know where this is going~!" Teddie giggled, sitting on the end of Yosuke's bed.

"Yeah well, I don't want to break whatever it is we have." He sighed, leaning back in his chair at his desk. Teddie shook his head.

Why was it the two blockheads were attracted to each other?

He climbed back into the closet to sleep.

19/5

Yosuke had taken the train from Okina to get to the cram school. Just the next town over, right next to the station. How convenient, he mused. He picked up his guitar and slung it over his shoulder, his bag of notes on the other. He knocked on the glass door, where an older woman let him in.

"Hanamura, how nice to see you." They bowed and she lead him to the third door down the hallway.

"This will be your room. Everyone will be here shortly, please be patient." He took stock of the room. There was a shelf stacked with old textbooks, a whiteboard and markers and a projector in the back. The windows were covered by colourful curtains, decorated with symbols of learning. He pulled them back a bit to let some natural light into the room. He always did better with sunlight instead of the fluorescent lights. The city beyond looked like Inaba, short, two-story houses lined the back roads, while more traditional styled roofs dominated the shopping district. He heard the rumble of the trains in the background. He put his guitar on the table near the board, and set his papers down. He began writing on the board, first his name, then a plan of attack.

By the time he had finished, his class of eleven students had shown up, all seated.

"Hello everyone! I'm Yosuke Hanamura, please be kind to me." He bowed. The students stood and bowed in reply.

By the time they had finished, it was growing late in the afternoon. Half of them were barely awake, let alone functioning. He dismissed them, wishing them a good rest on Sunday. He closed the curtains and turned off the lights.

"So, what did you think?" The woman asked him. He smiled widely.

"No problems. This is gonna work out just fine." She waved him out of the building.

__Night__

"Oh, you're home." Genji seemed surprised. When was the last time his father was home by 6PM? He couldn't honestly remember.

"Uh, yeah. My job finished about an hour ago." Yosuke responded, putting his things down in the room next to the hallway. He took off his shoes and grabbed a drink from the fridge.

"Well, Chie got the job. You'll have to help her learn the ropes." His father returned to his reading. Going upstairs, he saw his mother come in from the balcony.

"Oh there you are, Yo-chan." She cooed, pulling him into a hug. Something was up, Yosuke knew it.

"Ma, what are you doing here?" He raised his eyebrow at her. She waved her hand dismissively.

"We thought maybe an early night wouldn't be so bad, so we left the store in capable hands, you know?" She smiled warmly.

He hugged her tighter.

"So I'll have to work with you next week. You know you're taking the closing shift, right?" He laid back on his bed, Teddie crawling back into the TV, waving. Yosuke waved back.

"__Yeah, but that's okay. A job is a job, right__?" She sounded nervous. He sighed.

"Indeed it is." They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while.

"__Yosuke, I'm sorry I demanded so many steaks from you. A-and the critical hits…__" He heard her voice shake. He sat up, shocked.

"What? No, don't be sorry! I mean, I did deserve some of those puni-" He heard her breathe deeply.

"__No, I was an ass to you. You deserved better, not a bitch. We're friends, right?__" She asked, he pictured her fidgeting with her skirt hem.

"Yeah, always. Chie? Don't beat yourself up." He felt his chest bloom with warmth, reflected in the slight colour invading his cheeks.

"__Y-you t-too…__" She mumbled, before hanging up.

21/5

__After school__

"So, since you're taking over for me," Yosuke said, tightening his apron, "You'll be on closing shift down here in produce and then cleaning up the women's section. I'll walk you through that." Chie had done her own apron up, her hair pinned back by some clips around her ears.

"Right. I'll just follow you for the next few days, right?" She stretched her legs and shoulders, Yosuke giving her a thumbs up. They entered Junes at the bottom floor, groceries. He began listing off the order of duties.

"Ok, so first you have to go through the vegetable and fruit displays and make sure nothing too squishy is left over, if it's overripe or handled, you'll need to take it to the bins out the back." He picked up an eggplant to show her. He pinched it lightly, pointing out how the flesh easily gave way to his touch.

"Then, you'll have to check the expiration dates on the dairy, starting with milk, then butter, creams and cheeses. Last will be the eggs." Chie nodded, noting everything he was saying. They fell into general conversation as they refilled the shelves and fridges, Yosuke pointing things out as he found them, like expired goods or bad produce. When the closing bell chimed, Yosuke brought her over to the back room.

"Back here is where the magic happens." He winked.

__Night__

The TV that they had climbed into and out of for the past year was against the back wall, a few chairs in front of it. Yosuke went over and put his hand into the screen, just like before, making a motion. A moment later, Teddie came out of the device.

"Hello Chie! First day here, huh?" He sparkled like always, giving her a hug.

"Yeah, it is. How's the TV world?" She asked him. He hummed for a moment, before climbing back into the screen. The screen then lit up with a vision of the forest, a large entrance with a spiralling black and red portal covered in chains broke the scene. Both Yosuke and Chie got closer to the screen.

"As you can see," Teddie came into view, pointing at the gate, "This thing seems to be getting worse. Now, I don't know what's in there, but the chains only came up the other night. It's beary strange." He said, tugging on one of the shackles.

"Do the others know about it?" Chie asked. Yosuke shook his head.

"I'd figured it's better to not worry them with it yet." He explained. Teddie clambered out of the screen again, costume in hand.

"If anything changes about it, I'll alert everyone." The bear pulled on his costume, flopping into the pile of cushions in the corner. Soft snores could be heard from within.


End file.
